Scott Morrison staying quiet on PNG visit as riot footage emerges

Reporter for The Age

Immigration Minister Scott Morrison left Papua New Guinea on Saturday after holding closed talks with the country's senior leadership about the Manus Island detention facility run on Australia's behalf.

But it's understood Mr Morrison did not visit the troubled centre where 23-year-old Iranian asylum seeker Reza Barati was beaten to death, and scores of others were injured, during riots almost two weeks ago.

Mr Morrison refused to discuss his visit with the media, and his office did not return repeated calls.

His visit comes as new footage emerged on the Guardian Australia website of the riot, showing chaotic scenes as staff scrambled to treat dozens of injured asylum seekers by torchlight. Weeping and moaning can be heard in the footage, which the Guardian said was filmed at a makeshift hospital assembled on a concrete wharf near the Bibby Progress, a floating hotel that houses Australian detention centre staff.

Also on Saturday, the Greens announced they would move for a parliamentary inquiry into Mr Barati's death, saying it would have the independence that the immigration department's review ''into itself so clearly lacks''.